Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan in war-torn Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) - A Somali official says Turkey's president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has arrived in Somalia to open the new Turkish embassy in Mogadishu and launch development projects sponsored by his government.

Ahmed Mohamed, a senior policeman said Friday that security has been tightened across the Somali capital where Islamic extremists killed at least 15 people in an attack on a hotel late Wednesday. This is Erdogan's third visit to Somalia, making him the only non-African president to visit Somalia in decades.

During his visit, Friday, the final leg of his East Africa trip, Erdogan is scheduled to hold talks with Somali leaders as the country gears up for a presidential election this year. Ergodan also visited Kenya and Uganda on this trip.